American-Eurasian J. Agric. & Environ. Sci.

, 15 (3): 320-323, 2015

ISSN 1818-6769
© IDOSI Publications, 2015
DOI: 10.5829/idosi.aejaes.2015.15.3.12540

Growth and Yield of Wheat in Response to Different Seed Storage Conditions

1
M.I.K. Khan, 1A.K.M.R. Amin, 1I.F. Chowdhury, 2H. Mehraj and 3S. Islam

Department of Agronomy,
1

Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh

2
Department of Horticulture,
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
3
Department of Soil Science,
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh

Abstract: An experiment was conducted at Agronomy field, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Bangladesh
from November, 2011 to March 2012 to investigate the response of different seed storage conditions on
production of BARI Gom-24. Four different seed storage conditions viz. C1: below 10°C; C2= below 20°C;
C3= Polybag (room temperature) and C4=Tin container (room temperature) were used on experiment following
Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The maximum plant height (95.9 cm at harvest),
number of tillers (4.5/m2 at harvest), dry weight (81.0 g at harvest), spike length (17.5 cm), number of grains
(41.5/spike), filled grains (39.9/spike), 1000-grains weight (43.3 g), grain yield (3.6 t/ha), straw yield (5.6 t/ha) and
biological yield (9.2 t/ha) was found from C1 which was statistically identical with C2 whereas, the minimum from
C4. The seed storage conditions can be ranked from best to worst as below 10°C > below 20°C > Polybag (room
temperature) > Tin container (room temperature). Seeds storing at tin container (room temperature) were poor
in the view of yield.

Key words: Triticum aestivum Seed storage conditions Growth and yield

INTRODUCTION agricultural conditions, initial low rates of growth may be

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the second most
important food crop in Bangladesh and about two third of
the total world’s population consume it as staple food [1].
Seed health is an important attribute of quality and seed
used for planting should be free from pest. Seed infection
may lead to low germination, reduced field establishment,
severe yield loss or a total crop failure. For example,
severely infected wheat grains with kernel bunt either fail
to germinate or produce a greater percentage of abnormal
seedlings [2]. In most cases seed health deteriorate due to
poor storage conditions of seed. Due to poor storage
conditions seed may be easily affected by stored grain
insect or seed borne pathogen. Moreover, Seed
deterioration associated with loss of viability during
storage results in decreased early growth of roots and
shoots and in increased variability of growth between
plants. This early inhibition of growth-rate does not
persist and there is some evidence that under normal
compensated at later stages of development. Providing
appropriate storage condition with optimum temperature
seed health may be more or less ensured. Crop production
could be increased by suitable seed storage condition
with providing optimum temperature. Considering the
above fact, the study was conducted to judge the effect
of different storage conditions with the objectives to
study the importance of ideal seed storage condition.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The present study was carried out to investigate the
response of different seed storage conditions on the
production of BARI Gom-24 during November, 2011 to
March 2012 at Agronomy field, Sher-e-Bangla
Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Seeds were
collected from Bangladesh Agricultural Development
Corporation (BADC) and four different seed
storage conditions viz. C1: below 10°C; C2= below 20°C;

Correpsonding Author: I.F. Chowdhury, Department of Agronomy,

Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh .
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C3= Polybag (room temperature) and C4=Tin container

(room temperature) was used on experiment following
Randomized Complete Block Design with three
replications. The unit plot area was 4m × 2.5m, plot to plot
and block to block distances were 0.5m and 1.0 m,
respectively. Moisture status and Germination percentage
of seeds were recorded in every month from July to
November, 2011.
Fertilizers were applied at the rate of 100, 80, 30 and 20
kg ha 1 of N, P, K and S respectively and 5 t ha 1
cowdung. The 2/3rd urea and whole amount of other
fertilizers were applied as basal dose and rest 1/3rd urea
was applied at crown root initiation stage (21DAS)
followed by an irrigation. Seeds were treated (with Provex
200 @ 3 g kg 1) of seeds before sowing @ 125 kg ha 1
and were placed in 20 cm apart lines.
Data were collected from 10 randomly selected wheat
plants from each plot. Crop of each plot was harvested
from 4m2 areas leaving the border lines to record the seed
yield which was converted into t ha 1. Data were collected
on plant height, number of tillers (linear), dry weight
plant 1, spike length, number of spikelets spike 1, number
of filled grains spike 1, 1000-grain weight, grain yield,
straw yield, biological yield and harvest index. The plants
with roots were collected at different days after sowing
from each plot and then oven dried at 70° C for 72 hours.
The dried samples were then weighed and averaged.
Dry weight was taken from 10 plants collected from inner
rows of each plot. Thousand seeds were counted from
seed sample and weighed at about 12% moisture level
using an electric balance. After threshing, proper drying
(12% moisture level) and cleaning, yield of each sample
plot was recorded and values were converted to t ha 1.
Biological yield was determined by addition of grain yield
and straw yield. Harvest index was determined by dividing
the grain yield by total biological yield (grain yield + straw Fig. 1: Response of wheat to different seed sources on
yield) and multiplying by 100 [3]. (a) plant height, (b) number of tillers and (c) dry
Collected data were statistically analyzed by weight
MSTAT–C software computer package program and mean
differences were evaluated by Duncan’s Multiple Range Number of Tillers: Significant variation was found on
Test (DMRT) at 5% level of probability [4]. number of tillers from different seed storage conditions at
different days after sowing. The maximum number of tillers
RESULTS was found from C1 (4.5/plant), whereas the minimum from
C4 (3.5/plant) at harvest (Fig. 1b).
Plant Height: Plant height of wheat showed a significant
variation among different seed storage conditions at Dry weight: Significant variation was found on dry weight
different days after sowing. However, the tallest plant was from different seed storage conditions at different days
found from C1 (95.5 cm) which was statistically identical after sowing. The maximum dry weight was found from C 1
with C2 (91.1 cm), while the shortest from C4 (85.6 cm) at (81.0 g/plant), whereas the minimum from C4 (46.9 g/plant)
harvest (Fig. 1a). at harvest (Fig. 1c).

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Table 1: Moisture and Germination percentage of at the end of storage (November)

Storage Conditions Seed moisture (%) Seed germination (%)
Below 10° C 9.1 88.0
Below 20° C 10.2 86.0
Polybag 10.3 78.0
Tin container 10.1 76.0

Table 2: Responses of wheat to different seed storage conditions on yield related attributes and yieldx
Yield (t/ha)
Seed storage Spike Grains Filled 1000-grains ----------------------------------------------------------------
conditions length (cm) /spike grains /spike weight (g) grain straw biological Harvest index
C1 17.5 a 41.5 a 39.9 a 43.3 a 3.6 a 5.6 a 9.2 a 39.2 a
C2 16.9 a 41.2 a 39.3 a 41.6 ab 3.3 ab 5.4 ab 8.7 ab 38.2 a
C3 16.6 a 39.7 b 37.7 ab 40.2 bc 3.2 b 5.0 bc 8.2 b 39.3 a
C4 16.4 a 38.1 c 36.4 b 38.6 c 2.8 c 4.4 c 7.3 c 39.3 a
LSD 0.05 2.2 1.3 2.5 2.6 0.3 0.6 5.7 4.5
CV% 1.2 1.7 3.3 3.2 5.2 5.4 3.4 5.7
X
In a column mean values having similar letter(s) are statistically similar and those having dissimilar letter(s) differ significantly as per 0.05 level of
significance

Spike Length: Statistically similar result was found for
spike length at different seed storage conditions.
However, the maximum spike length was found from
C1 (17.5 cm), whereas the minimum from C4 (16.4 cm)
(Table 2).
Straw Yield: Significant variation was observed on straw
yield of wheat among different seed storage conditions.
The maximum straw yield was found from C 1 (5.6 t/ha)
which was statistically identical with C2 (5.4 t/ha), while
the minimum from C4 (4.4 t/ha) (Table 2).

Number of Grains: Number of grains of wheat was varied
significantly due to the variation of seed storage
conditions. The maximum number of grains was found
from C1 (41.5/spike) which was statistically identical with
C2 (41.2/spike) followed by C3 (39.7/spike), while the
minimum from C4 (38.1/spike) (Table 2).
Biological Yield: Significant variation was observed on
biological yield of wheat among different seed storage
conditions. The maximum biological yield was found
from C1 (9.2 t/ha) which was statistically identical with C 2
(8.7 t/ha), whereas the minimum from C 4 (7.3 t/ha)
(Table 2).

Number of Filled Grains: Number of filled grains of wheat
showed significant variation among different seed storage
conditions. The maximum filled grains was found from C1
(39.9/spike) which was statistically identical with C2
(39.3/spike) followed by C3 (37.7/spike), while the minimum
from C4 (36.4/spike) (Table 2).
1000-Grain Weight: Significant variation was observed
on 1000-grain weight of wheat among the different seed
storage conditions. The maximum 1000-grain weight was
found from C1 (43.3 g) which was statistically identical
with C2 (41.6 g) followed by C3 (40.2 g), while the minimum
from C4 (38.6 g) (Table 2).
Grain Yield: Significant variation was observed on grain
yield of wheat among different seed storage conditions.
The maximum grain yield was found from C1 (3.6 t/ha)
which was statistically identical with C2 (3.3 t/ha), whereas
the minimum from C4 (2.8 t/ha) (Table 2).
Harvest index: Statistically similar results were found
from different seed storage conditions for harvest index.
The maximum harvest index was found from C3 and C4
(39.3%) followed by C1 (39.2%), while the minimum from C4
(38.2%) (Table 2).
DISCUSSION
Seed quality and longevity of seeds during
preservation period mainly depends on two major factors:
biotic factors like insects, fungi, bacteria, virus, rodents,
etc. and abiotic factors like temperature, relative humidity,
moisture content, rainfall, day length and sunshine, etc.
Due to high nutritive value, seeds are prime target of
attack of various microorganisms and insects. Among
microorganisms fungi play a dominant role in infecting
quality and longevity of seeds in storage [5]. Previously
it was also studied to store seed at different conditions
and containers. Tin container is the best means for

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cucumber seed storage tin container, poiy bag and cloth
bag [6] which showed the resemblance of the current
study. Verma et al. [7] examined the seed lots of Brassica
juncea and B. campestris stored under ambient conditions
of temperature and humidity and concluded that the seed
seeds are varied from one lot to another due to the
variation of the storage conditions. In general, prevalence
of fungi was found lower in the seedling stored in
polythene bag followed by the seeds of metal container
and cloth bag. Among all the fungi was highest in
prevalence in the seedlings of cloth bag followed by
metallic container and in polythene bag. Value was lowest
in metal container and polythene bag due to lower seed
moisture of the seed [8]. In this study wheat seed stored
at below 10°C temperature provided the less moisture
content on the seed than the others and for this result
lowed amount of the disease and fungal attack happed in
the crop field and provided best growth and yield.
According to Justice and Bass [9] when in storage the
moisture content of seed goes above 8-9% then the risk
of insect, fungal and bacterial attack increases. Besides
low temperature is not suitable for the fungal infection
and seed bone diseases which was ultimately affect the
growth and yield.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Storage of seed at below 10°C and 20°C temperature
showed better performance. So seed storing
comparatively lower temperature provide better growth
and yield of wheat. However, to reach a specific
recommendation, more research work on wider range of
seed storage condition effect on growth and yield of
wheat should be done over different agro-ecological
zones of the country.
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